THE SAFFRONISATION OF THE INDIAN SECURITY APPARATUS: AN ANALYSIS OF EVOLVING STRATEGIC CULTURE, POLITICAL IDEOLOGIES, NATIONAL SECURITY

Abstract

This paper analyses how the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) promoted Hindu nationalism and influenced Indian defense forces and organizations. The rise of the BJP leadership in 2014 introduced a methodical process of integrating Hindu religious ideas into security
organizations, which scholars call Saffronisation. Project Udbhav represents a critical transformation as it started in 2023 to blend warfare elements from Vedic scriptures and Arthashastra into modern military education methods. The scheme has chosen to ignore
the accomplishments of Muslim administrators, especially during the Mughal and Delhi Sultanate periods, to create new historical interpretations for defense learning. This paper traces the fundamental beliefs behind this ideological change alongside its
historical development to understand its effects on military strategies, intelligence operations, and training facilities. Such ideological assimilation will modify India's strategic culture as well as redefine civil-military relations and potentially marginalize minority communities serving in the armed forces. The research investigates how these developments affect both national security requirements and the secular nature of the Indian state and the nation's regional stability status.